European medieval art, philosophy and literature were significantly shaped by French culture and its intellectual and literary achievements. This reference work, for the first time in the history of literary studies, provides a comprehensive overview of language elements, poetic forms and genres, motifs, themes and works of the German and Dutch medieval literature between about 1100 and 1300, which were based on influences and models from France. The handbook documents the immense attraction of French culture of that era as well as the creative appropriation, adaptation and reforming of foreign language models in the adjacent Germanic language areas. An international editorial committee and a large number of experts classify, present and expand the research on this topic. The book is a source of primary information and provides a basis for more detailed studies in the future. It is a standard work of medieval studies and a benchmark for a historically appropriate description of German and Dutch literature of the High Middle Ages as a European phenomenon.